Scoring goals in a football match requires teamwork and mature tactics. Although many goals are easily created, goals in a football match are not like basketball games.
Score 5-0 to 8-0 is very fantastic at a football match. If scoring just 8 goals is fantastic, then what about the 149-0 score that was created in a football match? Surely that is very unusual and beyond human conjecture.
The real event happened on the African continent precisely in Madagascar in 2002 in the THB Champions League. THB Champions League itself is a domestic competition in the African island nation, which consists of 24 clubs that qualify after passing the regional league competition in the country.
The 24 clubs were divided into four groups of six teams, then the top three teams advanced to the second stage of the competition. After that, two more groups were made consisting of six teams, then the top two positions would advance to the deciding round to fight for the title.
The deciding round in 2002 consisted of four clubs that would face each other among fierce rivals Adema Analamanga and Stade Olympique de l’Emyrne (SOE), Domina Soivana Atimondrano Antananarivo and Union Sportive Ambohhidrimo. Stade Olympique de L’Emyrne is the defending champion.
The four clubs played a round-robin tournament at Adema’s cage in Toamasina for 11 days to decide who would emerge as the champion of the season.
Before the historic event occurred, L’Emyrne faced Antananarivo. In that match, they were required to earn full points to maintain the chance of winning the title. If the results were a draw or lose then their chances to win the trophy became very slim because in the next match you have to face Adema.
The controversy occurred before the long whistle sounded. Antananarivo was awarded a very controversial penalty by referee Benjamina Razafintsalam. The penalty was then converted into a goal and made Antananarivo won.
The referee’s decision to award Antananarivo a penalty kick infuriated the players and the management of L’Oemyrne. The club manager was furious, believing his team deserved the final match of the season with the opportunity to retain the title.
In the last match which took place on October 31, 2002, L’Emyrne faced the host, Adema. This is where the historical story took place.
The feeling of disappointment that was very deep in the previous game still made an impression in the minds of managers and players. It was reported that before kicking off in the final match, there had been a dispute between club officials, players, and coach of L’Emyrne.
The referee’s decision which was very controversial in the match against Antananarivo made L’emyrne’s camp very disappointed. They then vent in the match versus Adema. In a protest lead by the coach, Ratsimandresy Ratsarazaka, they showed disappointment by deliberately scoring goals against themselves shortly after kicking off.
Many things amused Adema’s players. They did not touch the ball again for the rest of the match with their opponents repeatedly kicking the ball into their own goal. Suicidal goals continued until the match was over.
The Adema players were certainly very surprised. They could only stay on the other side when they saw their fierce rivals did silly actions. The audience was confused until finally, they demanded that the organizers considered presenting a joke match. The spectators who filled the stadium immediately raided the ticket window and demanded their money back.
All of those happened while the referee just stood helplessly. The referee just watched and did not take any action. The match continued until the final minutes and the visitors of the L’Emyrne put the ball in their own net at a rate of one goal every 36 seconds because, in total, 149 own goals were netted.
Although there was no evidence of scandal to make Adema the winner of the match, the Madagascar Football Federation still considered violations of the code of conduct committed by the coach and the players of L’Emyrne in the match. You could say that it also became one of the black notes in Madagascar football.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Madagascar Football Federation sentenced four L’Emyrne players consisting of Mamisoa Razafindrakoto (goalkeeper), Manitranirina Andrianiaina (Captain), Nicolas Rakotoarimanana, and Dominique Rakotonandrasana. The four players were suspended until the end of the 2002 season and were banned from entering the stadium until the end of the sentence.
While stricter sanctions were given to Ratsimandresy Ratsarazak, who was considered the mastermind behind the creation of 149 goals in one match for Adama. The coach was sentenced to an active ban for three years in the world of football. He was also banned from entering the football stadium while the sentence was still valid.
The Madagascar football federation also gave a stern warning to all L’emyrne players who did not get special sanctions. Adema players also got a warning. The federation threatened that if the warning was ignored then more serious action would be given to all players who violated it. Meanwhile, the referee who was considered by L’Emyrne as the main culprit of the problem was free from punishment and harsh warnings.
Because of that incident, the Guinness Book of Records had to revise its records. Previously, the record for most goals in a match occurred during the match Arbroath vs Bon Accord which ended 36-0. The record that occurred in 1885 was now broken by the match of US Adema Vs Lmyrne which ended in 149-0.
